me – a very emotional reunion. Day 5, another long 88 miles to Preston- wonderful reunion with our Preston families. Managed to make it in time for the Arti at GHS Temple- was fortunate enough to be blessed by the resident priest. Ushaben and Anjuben, gave me a reiki treatment. I was tired and completely exhausted on that day. And yet, the next morning after only 3 hours of sleep, I had never felt stronger …. I knew by now that it was nothing to do with the bike and everything to do with my mind and sheer determination. Day 6 took us 91 miles to Carlisle. Today was the dreaded climb up Shap – this is a 14 mile long uphill climb out of Kendal – a real killer on those legs – And I am proud to say I climbed it … did not walk up the hill one small step …. And by now had reached half-way and I knew deep inside me, there was nothing, short of an accident, that was going to stop me. I was mentally and physically exhausted and yet somehow, strangely felt elated- could not believe that this overweight body of mine had allowed me to cycle 500 miles in the last 6 days … Day 7 we were in Scotland having cycled 96 miles on a horrendous deeply pitted road to Kilmarnock- in one week we had covered 596 miles. The pattern was established, the body was reluctantly getting used to the daily punishing, the weather was improving and we were beginning to enjoy the ride and scenery. Our 81-mile ride to Inveraray on Day 8 introduced us to the scenic delights of Scotland. When you cycle on isolated roads you hear babbling brooks, lambs bleating, the rustle of the wind, the pitter patter of rain, or the sheer force of a torrential downpour, you are listening to natures music … music we are denied when you are cocooned in a car … you may see the same scenery but you miss these wonderful aspects of nature elements … all your senses are awakened … I call this music, God’ s music … not once on this cycle ride did I need to resort to my headphones / iPhone music.
Modern day cycling nutrition: when I last cycled long distance in the late 1970’ s early 80’ s, if you felt hungry, you stopped for a Mars bar … lunch was at a greasy roadside café …. and now we have a whole new world of nutritional science – gels to consume, white powder to add to your drink( first time I saw it, I thought someone was about to snort cocaine!), post ride shakes for your muscle recovery etc.
Technology: My 23 year old bike, a 30th birthday present from my brother, Praful was state of the art back then- Titanium frame and carbon fibre forks …. now she is twice the weight of some of the bikes the seasoned pros were riding. They have electronic gears( yes, you read it right …. they call it DI technology. Buttons to press to change gears), carbon fiber( CF) frames, CF seat posts, CF gear changer etc.
Day 9 was a 96 mile ride to Loch Lochy- a physical test of mind and body. All of us were now feeling the effects of 9 days cumulative riding with little rest. Silly mistakes were being made. Riders clipping kerbsides and falling off, knees playing up, dinner table talk of how strong pain killing drugs are you taking … and these are the pros / the seasoned cyclists, By comparison, I seem to be holding up well- other than rubbing ibuprofen gel on my knees, calf and my back, I was OK. To put matters into perspective, the‘ pros’ average riding speed was 16mph and mine was 11mph. Leaving at 6:30am gave me a 90-minute head start- I knew my pace and was determined to finish each day. Day 10 brought us our greatest reward so far- the 100 mile ride from Loch Lochy to Brora was a sight to behold. Riding along Loch Ness with the sun glistening off the lake, very few cars to contend with and the glory of the mountains. It was idyllic. Day 11 was deceivingly short at 66 miles and for almost all riders it turned out to be a dark oppressive ride though the moors with 30 miles of a steady climb. Victory was in sight and on Day 12 we rode the final 20 miles of our challenge accompanied by strong headwinds into John O’ Groats. I rode with tears streaming down my face- the odds were stacked against me and I had just made one of my dreams come true … My motivational drivers were many including the waves of support messages through social media and the donations that poured in. I am grateful to all of you who believed in me- you gave me spiritual energy- Self-determination won. You can still donate using this link: https:// www. gofundme. com / 28q8sb8- It will also allow you to read my journeys daily blog and see lots more pictures. The total miles I cycled on LEJoG was 927 – the balance I completed at home. And the last 2 miles of my odyssey, I cycled with my wife, Nila on our tandem- she has been my rock- it was fitting to end my 1,000-mile journey together with her. I had tremendous support from all. Lessons in Life: You can achieve whatever you set your mind on … count on God’ s kind grace, blessings, and goodwill from all. I hope my journey has inspired you in some small way. It allowed me time for reflection and contemplation, helped me re-energise and make some positive life changes subsequently.
vol. 41 | Prajapati Sandesh 2016 37